Methods for manufacturing a clip and clip

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a clip manufactured according to a method which can be used to engage body tissue for the purpose of closing wounds. Such clips are generally annular in shape and have radially inwardly extending tines. The present disclosure first forms a precursor which, in one embodiment, has the tines extending radially outwardly from the annular body and then forms the clip by inverting the precursor such that the tines extend radially inwardly. In an alternate embodiment, the precursor is formed with an over-sized lateral dimension and then compressed inwardly to bring the tines closer together and to reduce the lateral dimension of the precursor. Such clips may be manufactured from a superelastic alloy such as nickel-titanium, in which case the inverted or compressed precursor must be heated and quenched to heat set the clip in its final shape.

1. A clip manufactured according to the method of manufacturing a clip comprising the steps of:
 forming the precursor of a clip from a material comprising a superelastic alloy which has an austenitic state and a martensitic state, said precursor having a substantially annular body which is substantially planar and having a plurality of tines which extend radially outwardly from said body; 
 inverting said precursor such that said tines extend radially inwardly and said precursor is in a substantially planar configuration, a first tine of the plurality of tines extending beyond a central axis of said body when in the substantially planar configuration, the central axis of the clip being perpendicular to a plane formed by the clip in the substantially planar configuration; 
 heating said precursor in its inverted configuration to cause said alloy to become substantially austenitic; and 
 quenching said heated precursor to form a clip which is substantially austenitic in the substantially planar configuration with at least two tines of the plurality of tines being in over-and-under, overlapping relationship in the substantially planar configuration. 
 
     
     
       2. The clip of  claim 1  wherein said alloy is nickel-titanium. 
     
     
       3. The clip of  claim 1  wherein said body comprises a plurality of looped elements. 
     
     
       4. The clip of  claim 1  wherein at least one tine is longer than a radially opposed tine. 
     
     
       5. The clip of  claim 1  wherein said forming step comprises cutting said precursor from a sheet of material comprising a superelastic alloy. 
     
     
       6. A clip manufactured according to the method of manufacturing a clip comprising the steps of:
 forming the precursor of a clip from a material comprising a superelastic alloy which has an austenitic state and a martensitic state, said precursor having a substantially annular body which is substantially planar and having a plurality of tines which extend radially inwardly from said body, said precursor having a lateral dimension which is substantially larger than that of the clip; 
 compressing said precursor in a substantially planar configuration in a radially inward direction to bring said tines closer together with at least two tines of the plurality of tines being parallel and each of the at least two tines of the plurality of tines extending beyond a central axis of the clip while in the substantially planar configuration, the central axis of the clip being perpendicular to a plane formed by the clip in the substantially planar configuration; 
 heating said precursor in its compressed and substantially planar configuration to cause said alloy to become substantially austenitic; and 
 quenching said heated precursor to form a clip which is substantially austenitic. 
 
     
     
       7. The clip of  claim 6  wherein said alloy is nickel-titanium. 
     
     
       8. The clip of  claim 6  wherein said body comprises a plurality of looped elements. 
     
     
       9. The clip of  claim 6  wherein said forming step comprises cutting said precursor from a sheet of material comprising a superelastic alloy. 
     
     
       10. The clip of  claim 6  wherein at least one tine is longer than a radially opposed tine. 
     
     
       11. A clip manufactured according to the method of manufacturing a clip comprising the steps of:
 forming the precursor of a clip from a material comprising a superelastic alloy which has an austenitic state and a martensitic state, said precursor having a substantially annular body which is substantially planar and having a plurality of tines which extend radially outwardly from said body; 
 inverting said precursor such that said tines extend radially inwardly and said precursor is in a substantially planar configuration; 
 heating said precursor in its inverted configuration to cause said alloy to become substantially austenitic; and 
 quenching said heated precursor to form a clip which is substantially austenitic in the substantially planar configuration with at least two tines being in a parallel side-by-side relationship in the substantially planar configuration and extending past each other beyond a central axis of the clip, the central axis of the clip being perpendicular to a plane formed by the clip in the substantially planar configuration. 
 
     
     
       12. The clip of  claim 11  wherein said alloy is nickel-titanium. 
     
     
       13. The clip of  claim 11  wherein said body comprises a plurality of looped elements. 
     
     
       14. The clip of  claim 11  wherein said forming step comprises cutting said precursor from a sheet of material comprising a superelastic alloy. 
     
     
       15. The clip of  claim 11  wherein at least one tine is longer than a radially opposed tine.